'Isn't it funny how the memories you cherish before a breakup can become your worst enemy afterwards? The thoughts you loved to think about, the memories you wanted to hold up to the light and view from every angle. It suddenly seems a lot safer to lock them in a box, far from the light of day and throw away the key. It's not an act of bitterness. It's an act of self preservation. It's not always a bad idea to stay behind the window and look out at life instead, is it?'

- Allyson Braithwaite Condie, First Day

Draco sucked in a deep breath as he stared at the empty apartment, it felt like he lived a whole different life here with her. All of those memories he had shut away for so long slowly started to trickle back into his thoughts, he switched the light on and gazed at the still decorated living room. Pictures were hanging on the wall, untouched since they were first put up. The pillows and blankets had remained on the couch after their last night watching a film together. Back when everything was so simple. That had been 8 months ago. 8 long and tedious months he had to spend alone because of his mistake. Because of his insecurities. Draco had a tendency to mess up the best things he had in life and now he was truly paying for that one mistake.

I drove by all the places we used to hang out getting wasted

I thought about our last kiss, how it felt the way you tasted

And even though your friends tell me you're doing fine

He took a brave step into the light, letting his heart feel the unbearable pain of losing her all over again. "I'm so sorry" He whispered, falling to his knees as the tears finally fell.

8 months ago -

Hermione shut the door to their apartment and flung her keys onto the counter, finally glad to be home after a hard day at work. First, none of the paperwork she had requested from the investigation from when Newt Scamandar's creatures got loose in London had been delivered to her office, this had been due to the incompetency of the new intern her department had hired. Then when she finally did receive the paperwork, an emergency Patronus arrived advising that there had been an attempted break in at Gringotts bank. And then if her day couldn't get any worse, her office started raining and it flooded.

She needed to vent to Draco and she needed to do it now. "Draco, I'm home" She called out, but got no reply. She sighed and opened the fridge, pulling out the half bottle of white wine they had started to drink but never finished and poured herself a glass. She sipped on the wine as she walked through the apartment, surely Draco would have been home by now. Then she saw it. The discarded shirt on the floor, followed by matching black trousers, following those was a black, sequined dress and tights. Hermione's heart was in her throat as the pile of clothes lead to their bedroom. The tears had already begun as she pushed open the door, and what she saw shattered her heart.

Draco and another girl in their bed, together. Hermione lost all sense of feeling and the wine glass she had fell to the floor and shattered with a crash. The crash by the door startled Draco, he jumped up and his eyes widened as he saw Hermione standing there. Her make up running down her face as she caught him in the act.

"Hermione, I can explain" Draco stated, pulling his boxers and pyjama pants on.

Hermione shook her head, without uttering a single word she stormed away from the room being closely followed by Draco who ignored the unknown girls pleas for him to come back into bed. When he entered the bedroom Hermione was standing with her back turned to him.

"Hermione, love. Please" Draco whispered

Hermione whipped round with such force that Draco through he would find a wand placed at his neck, but he didn't. Hermione was crying, the big, fat ugly tears which were now rolling down her cheeks with no intention of stopping. "I can't even look at you" She whispered, too frightened to raise her voice. Too numb and stunned to even process what was happening right now. "How could you?"

Draco gulped, he didn't know how this happened. He really didn't and it killed him to see Hermione like this. He never wanted to hurt her, and now here he was pushing away the only person he's ever loved. "I...I"

"Go on" Hermione hissed, her eyes ablaze with anger. "You told me you had an explanation, so explain, please"

Draco had never heard such venom in her voice, she was truly furious at him and she had every right to be. "I don't know what happened, I really don't. And I know that sounds like a shitty excuse but you have to believe me Hermione, I'm so so sorry!" He pleaded, running his hands through his dishevelled blonde hair. "I always do this! I always end up hurting the people I love and care about"

Hermione laughed, a cold and heartless laugh. "You just don't hurt them Draco. You destroy them" She shook her head, trying her best to not look at him. Her head was telling her to go but her heart was telling her to stay, even after what he done, her heart was telling her to give him another chance. But she was so angry!

"Hermione, please. Be reasonable"

"Be reasonable?!" She screeched. Draco gulped, he had definitely said the wrong thing. "How can I be reasonable? To me our love was everything and you were my whole life. It is not very pleasant to realise that to you it was only an episode. Just another chapter in your ever expanding novel of lies"

Draco winced, he deserved that and he knew he did. "I love you Hermione, please, I'm begging you. Give me another chance. I love you so much!"

Hermione sucked a deep breath in, those words piercing at her heart. It felt like she was being stabbed over and over again. She never wanted to feel like this. "I think you still love me, but we can't escape the fact that I'm not enough for you. I knew this was going to happen" Hermione laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "I'm so naive. I should have listened to everyone who warned me about you but no. I thought I could be the one to tame you, to show you the real meaning of love. How wrong I was"

Draco felt the tears coming, he hoped she wasn't doing what he thought she was about to do.

"So, I'm not blaming you for cheating on me with another woman. It's my fault really. I should have seen this coming. I'm not angry either now. I should be, but I'm not. I just feel pain. A lot of pain. I thought I could imagine how much this would hurt, but I was wrong. This is the worst pain imaginable and I would never wish this on anyone" Hermione gulped, taking a step towards Draco and placing her hand on his cheek. She let the tears roll freely now, knowing this would be the last time she would see him. "Goodbye Draco" She whispered, removing her hand from his cheek and apparating away from him.

Present Day -

Are you somewhere feeling lonely even though he's right beside you?

When he says those words that hurt you, do you read the ones I wrote you?Sometimes I start to wonder, was it just a lie?

If what we had was real, how could you be fine?'Cause I'm not fine at all

Draco stared out the window, wondering just where in the world Hermione was right now. If she would ever consider giving him a second chance, he would take it in a heartbeat and make it count. But sadly he knew that was too good to be true. In the months since their break up, Potter had been informing him that Hermione had recently met someone new and they had a couple of successful dates. He didn't know if it would lead to something more serious but Draco was worried, and he knew he had no right to be. But he couldn't help it. Hermione was still his everything.

'I remember the day you told me you were leaving

I remember the make-up running down your face

And the dreams you left behind you didn't need them

Like every single wish we ever made

I wish that I could wake up with amnesia

And forget about the stupid little things

Like the way it felt to fall asleep next to you

And the memories I never can escape'Cause I'm not fine at all'

With one last try, Draco closed his eyes and thought of the one person he wanted to see the most, he willed his magic to take him to the most likely place she would be. With a sudden lurch Draco apparated from the apartment and found himself in Diagon Alley. He glanced around eagerly, hoping to see a flash of brown hair but he couldn't spot it in the busy crowd. His eyes caught the brightness of the Twin's shop. Following his instinct and gut he approached the shop with caution, he had become good friends with the Weasley family after the War. He had done his best to make amends to everyone he had caused pain to, and he was pleasantly surprised when Mrs Weasley took him in like part of the family.

When inside the shop, he stopped for a moment to admire just how well the Twins were doing for themselves. The shop was busy as ever with both new, present and old Hogwarts students alike buying stock. He managed to find the twin's easily enough, one was on the second floor of the shop helping a young girl pick a Pygmy Puff. The second twin, who he assumed to be George with the missing ear and all, was behind the till serving the long queue of customers. Draco decided to be brave and went up to the counter, ignoring the shouts behind him for skipping the queue.

George was surprised nonetheless when she saw Draco Malfoy standing on front of him, although they would now be considered friends of sorts, he wasn't quite happy with him right now, just like the rest of his family. "Malfoy" He greeted coldly.

Draco winced, he had expected this but it still hurt. "George" He smiled nervously. "Congratulations on the second shop's new opening soon. I'm sure it'll do just as well"

George nodded curtly, "What do you want Malfoy?"

"Please George, tell me where she is" He whispered, George finally met the eyes of Draco and frowned as he saw the pain and suffering in his eyes. He looked like crap, like he hadn't been sleeping well.

"You know I can't"

"You can or you won't?"

George rolled his eyes, "She doesn't want you to know where she is"

"All I want to know is that she's safe and happy. If she's found someone else and is truly happy then I'll leave her alone. But..." He paused, not sure if he should continue but seeing the curiosity in George's eyes made him go on. "If she's not happy or if she hasn't found someone else then I want to try talk to her. She has every right to be angry still but I need to do this. I'm in agony. I hate being without her. She was my oxygen, she helped me breath. She helped me learn to love myself again and to love life"

George nodded, "You should have thought about that when you slept with another woman"

Draco frowned but agreed. "I know, I was stupid. I was young and naive. And I was scared, I had never felt what I had with Hermione before and it terrified me, so I did the only thing I could think of. And that was to push the only person I've ever loved away and that is the biggest regret I have"

George sighed, he didn't want to feel bad for Draco, he was the one who caused Hermione all of this pain. But he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. When they were together Draco and Hermione had made a brilliant couple as surprising as it was, but they both bought out different traits in each other. "She's upstairs, in the flat. Here's the key, but make sure to bring it back before you go"

Draco smiled thankfully, taking the key from George and darting of to the flat entrance. He turned the key into the entrance and walked up the stairs. His heart hammering with nerves and fear, he didn't know what to expect when he walked in. And he knew that it may be something he didn't like but he had to do this, no matter what. He had to make her listen or just see her one more time. Draco took a deep breath and pushed the door open, stepping into what seemed to be an empty flat.

"Hello?"He called out, silence greeting him. His heart sunk in disappointment, he turned round ready to leave when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Draco?"

That voice, that one he had been longing to hear for so long, Draco turned slowly almost as if he didn't think she would be real. His breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight of her. Her hair was tied into a simple but messy plait, she was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, converse and a chequered shirt which had mysterious looking stains on them. He quirked an eyebrow.

Hermione blushed, wiping her hands on her shirt before crossing her arms and eyeing him curiously. "I work for the twins now. I've been helping them develop new potions and antidotes. I've even been working on a new love potion, something a little less potent than Amortentia"

Draco nodded, suddenly shifting from foot to foot nervously.

"Just what are you doing here Draco?"

"I...I needed to see you" He admitted. "I know I don't have the right to anymore. But Hermione...I can't live without you. You're my world. These past 8 months have been torture and I know I only have myself to blame. I know you're angry, and upset and I'm sure I'm the last person in the world you ever want to see but I just had to come and see if there was anyway you could forgive me"

Hermione was startled to say the least, after 8 months of no communication from Draco she thought she would never hear from him again. As hesitant as she was to admit it, she missed him. A lot. The past 8 months had been hell for her too. She had enough of her Ministry job so she quit. After just apparating from their apartment they shared together she had left her belongings and never returned for them. The twins had been amazing and provided a roof over her head as long as she agreed to work with him to help them develop a new line of products. The pay wasn't too shabby either but she didn't know if that was the normal rate for their employers or if there were doing it for as a family friend.

"Draco..."

"Please Hermione, just hear me out. I know what I done was selfish and awful. I do. I have regretted it ever since the moment it happened. I know you'll find that hard to hear. Bloody hell if you need to, give me veritaserum and then you'll know I'm telling you the truth" Draco pleaded, how he longed to just storm over to her, grab her by the waist and kiss her passionately. But knowing Hermione and how angry she could get, he didn't want a repeat of third year, somethings he swore his jaw still ached from that punch.

"You don't need to do that" Hermione whispered, taking a step closer to him. His heart picked up speed, was this hope? Or was she going to crush him down like she had every right to do?

"I'm going to be honest" Hermione admitted, staring Draco in the eyes but he couldn't tell what she was thinking or feeling. "I was so upset and distraught that you had done that. I couldn't have stayed. I couldn't look at you in the eyes, because you disgusted me. In that moment you were no more than that horrid, self centred, cocky 11 year old boy I had first met all those years ago. Just taking what he wanted and not caring about the consequences. You destroyed part of me that day" Hermione felt the tears burn at her own eyes.

"But even through all of that, I still loved you. I still love you" Hermione smiled a little, seeing a small twinkle returning in Draco's eyes.

"I know I shouldn't after what you done, but after taking these last 8 months to sit and have some time to myself even I had to admit that everyone makes some mistakes. A lot of people can forgive someone for cheating, a lot of people can't forgive someone for cheating. I find that it's up to that person with want they want to do. It's their choice. So if someone chose to stay with someone who had done something like that, then that choice should be respected"

Draco nodded, he couldn't deny it now, he had fully fledged hope and if she was about to crush him he wouldn't know what to do.

"I'm not going to lie but I was in a relationship for about a month" Draco felt his heart break ever so slightly, he should have known that she would have found someone else. Harry did tell him she was dating after all. "But, he didn't turn out to be what I expected. Or what I wanted"

"And what do you want?" Draco asked tentatively

"You" Hermione smiled, closing the space between them by wrapping her arms around his neck. "I want you Draco, it's always going to be you. No matter what happens. But I swear to you, this is the only chance I will be giving you. So please don't screw it up"

Draco wrapped his arms tightly around her waits and nodded, "I promise and swear to you Hermione that I will never do anything like that again. I never meant to hurt you, all I want to do is make you happy" He placed a soft kiss on her cheek, feeling that same spark that he had first felt when they kissed. "I love you Hermione. Always"

"I love you too Draco. Always"

And with that Draco captured Hermione's lips with his own, he finally felt complete. He had the girl of his dreams back in his arms and his life was beginning to feel whole again.